


Shore Leave

by moodymarshmallow



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Fluff, Multi, OT3, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-07
Updated: 2013-06-01
Packaged: 2017-12-07 19:08:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/751985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moodymarshmallow/pseuds/moodymarshmallow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Regretting her decision to choose Liara T'Soni over Kaidan Alenko when she has feelings for both of them, Mona Shepard decides, in typical paragon fashion, that they can come to an arrangement that makes everyone happy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“I’m not going to say that it never crossed my mind.” Kaidan Alenko was sitting far back in his chair, one foot resting on the opposite knee. “Hell, it’s sort of every young guys’ dream. All sorts of vids about it on the extranet,” Kaidan said before coughing awkwardly into his hand. “Well, you know what I mean.”

“I’m not entirely sure that I do.” Mona Shepard sat across from Kaidan at an angle, her posture looser, one arm draped over the back of her chair. “Is it the whole ‘conquering the galaxy and seducing green women—’”

“Blue,” Liara interrupted.

“Blue women,” Shepard amended. “Is it that, or is it the idea that there’s two women interested in you?”

“Not really sure you want the answer to that, Commander.” A half smile crept up Kaidan’s lips, though the predominant expression on his face was one of nervous uncertainty. Shepard hoped the whiskey—imported from Earth, no less—would have helped with that, but he hadn’t touched the glass since he poured it. “I still feel like Joker’s going to burst in on the comm any minute now to let me in on the joke.”

“No joke, Kaidan,” Shepard said with the barest hint of a smile, the soldier’s focus hard to fully erase from her countenance. Her voice softened though. “You know how difficult it was for me to—” She paused and bit her lip, that tough, self-assured mask slipping off in a way Kaidan had never seen nor expected. “Choose,” she finished, giving her head a little shake.

“Yeah,” Kaidan said quietly, dropping his gaze away from them. “I do, and it wasn’t easy for me either.” He glanced back at the women in time to see Liara gently brush a wayward strand of hair behind Shepard’s ear. He sighed lightly. “It’s not as if I don’t wish things would have gone differently, but you two…you two have something special, something I’m not a part of.” ****

“You could be,” Shepard said, leaning forward to rest her arms on the table, taking her glass and putting it to her lips.

“But Dr. T’soni,” Kaidan said, turning his attention to Liara, falling back on formality when reason failed. “I might just be dense—some new side effect of the L2 implants that nobody told me about—but I haven’t exactly gotten the impression you were interested in me. Why now, and why while you and Shepard are…” Kaidan trailed off, finally putting both feet on the floor as he leaned in to reach for his whiskey.

“I can see nothing wrong with such an arrangement,” Liara said brightly. ” True, I do not know you as well as Mona does, but I understand her interest, and in time I believe that I could grow to care about you just as deeply. Besides, for an Asari, what we are suggesting would not be all that strange. Though it is true that Asari take great care in choosing those to join with, there is no reason that we cannot choose more than one person at a time. I—” Liara faltered, glancing at Shepard. “I like to see Mona happy,” she said finally, smiling sweetly. “We have talked much about this, about you, and I believe that together we would all make one another quite happy. But only if you are interested, of course!” She quickly added, a purple hue rising on her cheeks, proving that for a hundred and seven years old, she was sometimes too innocent by half. She leaned forward to take a glass, but only held it between her hands. ****

A quiet moment passed while Mona sipped her whiskey and Liara pondered hers. If there were a few more people in the mess hall it would have felt just like any post-mission debriefing, maybe a little more celebratory and relaxed than usual, but the atmosphere was the same. The Normandy was quiet though, grounded, no staff on board other than than the three at the table, making Kaidan’s fears about Joker listening in ungrounded. The pilot and Dr. Chakwas were in a state of the art medical research facility on the colony where they were docked, looking into new leg braces and upgrades for the medbay. Everyone else was on shore leave, eager to get off the ship and stretch their legs when the opportunity presented itself.

Kaidan downed his whiskey, then reached for the bottle. “You’re kidding yourself if you think I wouldn’t be interested,” he said as he poured himself another shot. “But, in all fairness, I’m kind of past the casual sex with crewmates point of my life, you know what I mean?"

“I do not believe that we were suggesting something so simple and…temporary,” Liara said, hesitating, looking to Shepard for approval. “Perhaps I have not explained things properly. This is new to me as well.”

“This isn’t just about sex, Kaidan. Hell, if all we wanted was a threesome, I can’t imagine we’d have much trouble finding someone. I—we want you all in, Kaidan.”

“I’m gonna need some time to process that, Commander,” Kaidan said before downing his second shot, this time shaking his head at the smokey burn. “Alone.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t want you to make any snap decisions about something so important,” Shepard said, pushing the chair back from the table to stand. “Sorry to spring this on you out of the blue, but you’ve been on my mind for a long time now. I had to tell you when I got the chance.” A genuine, unguarded smile crossed over Mona’s face, reaching her eyes as she cast them downward. “I’ll understand if you say no, and there’ll be no hard feelings.” Liara stood as well, politely inclining her head towards Kaidan.

“Yeah, just…give me some time.” Kaidan looked at his glass, spinning it slowly in his hand. “You want the bottle?” he asked, lifting the squat bottle of whiskey by the neck and offering it to Shepard.

“Why don’t you keep it for now,” she said. “There’s plenty more where that came from.”

“Have a good evening, Lieutenant Alenko,” Liara said with a friendly smile.

The door gave a slight hiss of compressed air when Shepard and Liara passed through it, then closed soundlessly, leaving Kaidan alone in the empty silence of the mess hall. But for all the quiet, Kaidan could barely hear his own thoughts, interspersed as they were with instant replays of the conversation, doubts, and an underlying eagerness that made his skin tingle. He took another shot of whiskey, this time straight from the bottle, risking the hangover headache with one more swallow before capping the bottle and leaving the room.

On the other side of the ship, Mona Shepard stepped out of her trousers and folded them neatly before placing them atop the small wardrobe. Mona didn’t need much room for clothing, her chosen outfits purely utilitarian when out of battle, and if it wasn’t for Liara moving into her quarters she wouldn’t need the wardrobe at all. With a soft touch on the wall panel, Mona dimmed the lights before turning to the bed where Liara had already made herself comfortable, lying on her stomach reading the last few pages of a book on her datapad. Mona ran a hand over her mottled back as she sat with her, wondering if the dark blue and white skin patterns ought to be called freckles or if there was a better term for it.

“Two more pages, Mona. I promise,” Liara said, glancing over her shoulder quickly to flash her a relaxed smile.

“Scientific journals again?” Mona asked, lying down on her stomach next to her, wrapping an arm over her shoulder and pressing her lips to Liara’s bare shoulder.

“Not this time. Just finishing up a science-fiction novel. I can’t seem to get enough of them since I started traveling with you. Your influence, I’m sure.” The light on the datapad winked out and Liara turned to Mona. “I think it went quite well with Lieutenant Alenko, don’t you?”

“I don’t know,” Mona said with a sigh, turning and rolling onto her back. “I’m starting to wonder what I was even thinking in bringing it up.” Next to her, Liara propped herself up on her elbow, using her free hand to gently run a knuckle down Mona’s cheek.

“What is this? The Mona Shepard I know never second-guesses herself,” Liara said, a sly smile forming on her lips. “You might be a clone, but I know a surefire way to tell if you are.”

“Oh? What’s that?”

Liara grabbed the hem of Mona’s t-shirt and pulled it up, exposing her belly. “Clones are never ticklish!” She exclaimed with a grin, then wriggled her nails against Mona’s bare sides, easily finding the spots that made the stoic commander giggle until she begged for mercy.

“Well. It seems as though you are not a clone after all,” Liara said, satisfied. She stretched out next to Mona, slipping an arm over her stomach and holding her. “So you are just unsure, perhaps?”

“I guess so,” Mona said with a small nod. She rested her hand on Liara’s arm, stroking her skin in slow, absent motions. “I can’t say I’m surprised at his reaction, and I’m not exactly sure how I’m going to look him in the eye if he says no.” Mona sighed, and Liara pulled her closer, resting her head on Mona’s shoulder. “But I want you both,” Mona whispered, kissing the top of Liara’s head, “I need you both.”

“Whatever happens, you have me.” Liara cupped Mona’s cheek as she leaned up to kiss the opposite. She closed her eyes, her lips lingering on Mona’s skin as she nuzzled in gently. “And I will always have you,” she whispered, a sweet smile on her youthful face when Mona turned to kiss her.


	2. Chapter 2

With a mechanical whirr and the hiss of compressed air, the door to Commander Shepard’s rooms slid open. Mona glanced up from her datapad to see Lieutenant Alenko standing in the hall with his hand raised to knock. At a loss, clearly not having expected the door to open of its own accord, he gently rapped on the metal door jamb before standing at attention purely out of habit.

“At ease, Lieutenant,” Mona said, her voice professional, though the bemused angle of her brow betrayed far more than her words. “Something on your mind?”

“See, I thought ‘my door is always open’ was just an expression people in power used to mollify those serving under them.” The door slid shut as he stepped in and leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. “Looks like I was wrong about that too.”

“I may be in command, but we were all in this together when we brought down Saren, and we still are.” With a press of her thumb, Mona’s datapad went dark. She placed it on the desk before sitting back her chair, one elbow on the padded leather arm, the other lifting to push wayward hair out of her eyes. “Besides, I’m just not a secretive person. Why don’t you have a seat?”

Kaidan took one of the chairs across from her desk, sitting straight-backed and stiff, his hands on his knees as though he was ready to stand up at any moment. “I’ve been thinking about that talk we had the other night,” he said, his voice dropping in tone and volume.

“That, I think, warrants shutting the door,” said Mona, swiveling in her seat to reach the terminal on the wall. A beep from the door indicated that it was now locked, and Kaidan’s posture relaxed a small measure.

“There’s just one thing I don’t understand,” he said, leaning his elbows onto his knees, one hand covering a fist, pressing them both to his mouth for a moment. “That was easily the most personal conversation I’ve had with you, hell, with anyone, but you treated it like a mission debriefing.”

“Old habits die hard,” Mona said with a small shrug. She sat further back in her chair, tilting it slightly, one foot on the ground for stability. “I’ve been a soldier for just as long as you have. Sometimes it’s just easier to approach something unknown in a familiar way. I’ve done plenty of negotiations—never asked someone if they’d be interested in a relationship with me and my partner.”

“A relationship,” Kaidan echoed, something like humor in his thick voice. “No matter how much I see in space it always seems like humanity is the strangest thing out there.”

“Kaidan?” Mona’s brows knitted together. The front legs of her chair touched the metal floor of the cabin again and she rested her elbows on the desk.

“I was ready to die for you on Virmire, Shepard. All you would have had to do was say the word.” He looked past her, at the pistol on the desk, no surprise at seeing it close to her. That was just who she was—cautious in the best of situations, level-headed and controlled in the rest. He pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes closed, staving off the headache that wasn’t actually coming.

“You’re a damn good soldier; I would expect nothing less,” she said firmly, though she was clearly startled by the admission. It was in the crack in her voice, the clearing of her throat to cover it up, the widening of dark eyes—all the little things that kept her inexorably human.

“That has nothing to do with whether or not I’m a good soldier. I was so crazy for you then that I couldn’t have said no if I wanted to,” Kaidan shook his head and got to his feet, circling behind the chair with his back to her. “I’m still crazy about you,” he admitted, though he still faced the outside wall. “And I was pretty damn close to convincing myself that everything was fine with me so long as you were happy.” When he turned he gripped the back of the chair, leaning his upper body weight onto it. “I told myself that it wouldn’t have worked out anyway because of the Alliance’s rules about fraternization, almost believed it too.” When he looked up the first shades of a smile had formed. “But you’re one hell of a woman, Shepard. You make it hard for a man to sleep at night knowing you’re only a few rooms over.”  

“I think I might need you to elaborate on that,” Mona said with the beginnings of a grin blooming on her face. “In great detail.” She got to her feet smoothly and took her time rounding her desk, her eyes on Kaidan when she reached the other side. She pressed her palms to the desk behind her and leaned, amusement sparkling in her dark eyes.

Kaidan laughed, short and low, on the far side of uncertainty. He pushed off of the chair and stepped around it, closing the short distance to Shepard until they were no more than two steps apart. If she stood, she’d be right in his face. “I still can’t say no to you,” he said, his voice husky, but his brow firmly furrowed.

“I sense that’s not all you want to say.” She kept her seat, watching Kaidan bubbling with nervous tension, keeping her face open and kind and with all the patience in the universe, his gaze darting down when she met it, but rising again with dark intensity.

“It’s not just you,” he said, inclining his head to the picture of Liara on her desk. “I don’t know if this feels right.”

Taking a deep breath, Mona sat back further and nodded, too strong to feel the hollow chill creeping up from her fingertips. She nodded again, at nothing, looking at nothing, finding the steel in her spine just out of reach but there, comforted by that at least.

“But hell,” Kaidan continued. “I don’t know if it feels wrong either.” He slipped a hand behind his neck, slowly pressing at the tension in his spine. “But I think I need to talk to Dr. T’Soni before I can make a decision.”

“Of course,” Mona said, hiding the whiplash that replaced cold with heat, creeping disappointment with bursts of crackling excitement. She reached for the comm, but Kaidan tentatively put his hand over hers to stop her.

“Alone; if that’s alright with you.”  

“She’s in the medbay,” said Mona, all easy smiles and kind eyes. She stroked the side of Kaidan’s hand with her thumb as he lifted it away, wondering if the electricity was from the biotics or something more human.

On his way through the medbay, Dr. Chakwas stopped Kaidan, her professional concern mixed with friendly familiarity. “I’d say I was glad to see you,” she said, turning from her computer to smile up at him. “But with as infrequently as I get visits from healthy people, it seems almost cruel. Are the headaches back again?”

“No, I’m fine, but thank you. I was just looking for Dr. T’Soni,” Kaidan said, his expression warm but unclear.

“Good to hear your implant isn’t causing you too much trouble. The engineers responsible for the L2s should be in jail for the suffering they caused,” she said firmly, narrowing her eyes as she returned her gaze to her computer screen.

“They’re not that bad.” Kaidan laid a warm hand on Dr. Chakwas’ shoulder. “With what I’ve been through a few migraines seem pretty damn inconsequential.”

Chakwas patted Kaidan’s hand. “Oh, it’s not just you. I happened to be reading a journal about the early development of biotic implants when you came in. They really had no idea what they were doing.” She clucked her tongue in disgust before waving Kaidan off. “Liara is in the back doing some research. Go on, you don’t want to hear me muttering about scientific journals all day.”

“I’ll leave you to them then,” Kaidan said, not entirely sure that she was listening at any rate. When the door slid open to the back room, Liara was waiting.

“Sorry, I heard you coming but didn’t want to interrupt you,” she said, stepping aside to let him into the room. “Come sit down, if you’d like.”

Three datapads sat end to end on Liara’s table in front of her computer’s holographic display. Kaidan eyed them with a raised brow, but said nothing as he took a seat. “Seems like everyone’s busy today,” he said absently. “You’d think you were in the middle of a mission, or something.”

“I cannot speak for the motivations of the rest of the crew, but I am simply trying to make sense of the few artifacts we were able to retrieve from Ilos,” Liara glanced at the datapads, her lower lip jutting. “It is not going as well as I had hoped.”

“I can come back another time—”

“No! I’m sure that you were looking for me for good reason,” she said as she returned to her seat, crossing her legs primly with her hands on her knee. “Besides, I needed a break as it is. The words are all blending together.”

“Sounds like you’ve been working hard,” he said, glad for the momentary distraction. His mind was running such dizzying circuits around everything that had happened since the destruction of Sovereign that Shepard’s suggestion had been like hitting a steel wall. The lack of motion was just as bad as the overabundance of it, and small talk was like a nice, brisk jog.

“I take it you spoke to Mona?”

“Heh. How’d you guess?”

“You have never sought me out before,” she said, with a small, sly smile. “And…if you were going to refuse, I cannot imagine that you would have looked for me at all. You would let Shepard tell me.”

“What makes you think that?” Kaidan leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Because that is what Shepard would do,” Liara stood and gathered up her datapads. “You are very much like her in ways I do not think either of you notice.”

“Well we’re both human, both biotics” Kaidan said, turning from her as she fussed with the datapads. “Otherwise I’m not sure I see the similarity.”

“No. You wouldn’t.” Liara placed the datapads on a shelf near the door and returned to her computer, a short wave of her hand turning it off. “Though it is true that I don’t know you the way I know Mona, I do know that you are both very good people whose entire lives are devoted to helping others.” Kaidan looked at the wall, shaking his head slightly.

“Seems like you’ve got her all figured out. So where do I come in?”

Liara leaned on the desk, putting herself in Kaidan’s line of sight, waiting for him to raise his gaze to meet hers. “When the asari join with their partners, their minds become one. I feel what Mona feels, and I know her thoughts. She is very conflicted—she thinks of you often, with regret and longing.”

Kaidan shifted uncomfortably. “That’s sort of like having someone call out the wrong name, isn’t it?”

“Not exactly. I was aware of how she felt about you before we confessed our feelings for one another, and I did not compel her to choose between you and I. It is embarrassing to admit, but after we talked about focusing on the mission I did not think her interest in me would persist. I actually thought that she would continue her growing relationship with you, and I was as surprised as you were when she did not. Shepard has a big heart, Kaidan. There is room enough in there for an entire galaxy, and I would not feel neglected or jealous if Mona desired a dozen lovers. I know what she feels for me will not be diminished by what she feels for you because it isn’t now.” When Liara finished, she lifted onto the desk, seating herself comfortably on the side. “That is why I suggested we come up with an arrangement that could make everyone happy,” she said with a smile.

“You? I thought the Commander—”

“This is another thing you two have in common,” Liara said, beaming. “Always underestimating me. I may be just out of childhood by Asari standards, but I am no fool. I think you are worried that I would become jealous to see you with Shepard.” Liara smiled, reaching out her long fingered hand to gently touch Kaidan’s cheek, guiding him to look at her. “I would rejoice in her happiness, and in yours.” She removed her hand, pressing one finger playfully to his chin.

“I appreciate your candor, Doctor,” Kaidan pushed the chair back until he could stand without knocking her over. “So…” He gave her half of a lopsided smile, hiding the rest in the uptick of his pulse and the static electricity crackling down his spine.

“So,” she echoed, her wide eyes sparkling with excitement. “Did Mona tell you about the resort?”


	3. Chapter 3

The resort in question was on Earth, sprawling across six of the over hundred and fifty islands in the Hawaiian Island chain. It was located far enough from Hawai’i proper for guests to avoid tourist crowds, making it an oasis of seclusion for those with enough credits to afford the extravagant expense. The brochures—transmitted directly to the datapads of guests on the shuttles—claimed that the hotel had been host to politicians and celebrities from across the galaxy, including Francis Kitt and half the cast of his production of Hamlet.

Though the majority of Alliance funding was now devoted to rebuilding the Citadel and the decimated Alliance fleet, Councilman Udina (heavily influenced by Captain Anderson) managed to secure a substantial chunk of credits to reward Mona for her service in the fight against Saren and Sovereign. It should have taken delicate political maneuvering—Udina was adamant in insisting that it did—but with a fresh reminder of how narrowly the Destiny Ascension escaped destruction it only took a small push for the Council to unanimously agree to the expenditure. For the next two weeks the penthouse suite of Maika’i Hotel belonged to Mona Shepard—whether she wanted it or not.

It took extensive convincing on the parts of both Anderson and Liara to assure Mona that she was being rewarded rather than forcibly grounded, and even then she insisted that the credits would have been better spent on upgrading her ship or giving bonuses to the crew for a job well done. Even on Earth, as the shuttle soared over the clear, sparkling waters of the Pacific Ocean, Mona’s thoughts were with the Normandy and the crew members that weren’t with her on the peaceful ride to Hawaii.

“You were born on Earth, weren’t you, Lieutenant?” Liara asked, breaking the companionable silence that settled in when they made the transfer from the mainland spaceport. With some difficulty, Kaidan tore his attention from the view outside the thick plexiglass window, taking a moment to shake himself out of daydreams and recollections.

“Yeah, but not around here,” he said. “You know, it’s funny; at BAaT all I could think about was getting home again, but I’ve always had an excuse not to. Never thought the next time I ended up on Earth would be for shore leave in Hawaii.” Kaidan looked out the window again, squinting at the bright light reflecting off the waves. “I should call my parents,” he added, furrowing his brow. After a few moments, he turned again to Liara. “How about you? You ever been here before?”

“No. I’ve spent most of my life exploring Prothean ruins. Since there are none on Earth, there was never a reason to visit.” As she peered out the window, Liara smiled softly. “None of the textbooks said anything about how beautiful it is.”

“Hey, books are great, but they don’t tell you everything. Some things you just have to experience for yourself.”

“I am beginning to understand that,” she said, glancing to the front seat where Mona was still engrossed in her datapad. She turned to Kaidan again and shrugged.

Kaidan raised a thick brow before unbuckling his seat belt and standing up as much as he could in the cramped shuttle. He reached over the center console and grabbed the datapad out of Mona’s hands, shoving it under his seat as he sat back down.

“What the hell—” Mona began, twisting around in her seat to glare at Kaidan, not noticing Liara lifting a hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle.  

“The Normandy isn’t going to fall apart if you stop checking in on it every five minutes,” Kaidan said as he latched the buckle again. “Anderson’ll demote me if you come back just as tightly wound as when you left, so relax.”

“Are you giving me an order, Lieutenant?”

“Not sure the pilot will appreciate you pulling rank on his ship, Commander,” Kaidan said with the whisper of a smirk on his lips.

Mona opened her mouth to speak, craning around her seat to point a finger at Kaidan. She stopped before she said anything, narrowing her eyes when he shrugged as if to say there was nothing that could be done.

“He does have a point,” Liara said, feigning innocence when Mona turned to her for backup.

“Right,” Mona said with a frown. “I’ll remind you of that when I find you reading articles about newly discovered Prothean artifacts.” The pilot tapped her on the shoulder, politely asking that she stay in her seat, so Mona turned around, looking more than a little petulant at the loss of her datapad.

The Maika’i Hotel was on the water, a small path lined with palms and hibiscus leading straight from the hotel to a white sand beach dotted with colorful umbrellas. There was a private landing pad behind the building proper, and when they stepped out into the humid, tropical air, Kaidan let out a low whistle.

“Okay. You were right,” he said, looking at Mona. “They spent way too much on us.”

“Told you,” Mona said, using a hand to shade her eyes against the high midday sun as she craned her neck upwards, trying to get a glimpse of the top floor. “Can you imagine what kind of upgrades we could have gotten for the Normandy with what this cost?”

“Something tells me this isn’t the kinda place that gives refunds, so we might as well make the best of it.” He put a gentle hand on Mona’s shoulder. “C’mon, I want see what our rooms look like.”

“You seem more enthused about this than you were when I told you the plans,” Liara said, jogging up next to them with Mona’s datapad in her hand, passing it to Mona as she fell into step with them.

“I like to think things through before letting myself get too worked up,” Kaidan replied, using his forearm to wipe off the sweat already beading on his brow. “But I can think of worse places to be,” he said, glancing at Liara over Mona’s shoulder. “And worse people to be there with.”

With Mona’s attention again on her reclaimed datapad, Liara glanced over her shoulder to share a private smile with Kaidan. “I am happy to hear that,” she said. “I am sure your presence will make this trip more enjoyable.” The curve of her lips turned sly and Kaidan ducked his head, chuckling softly.

Inside they were greeted by an asari with a sleek black gown and an ingratiating manner that perfectly reflected the welcoming decor. On every high-polished surface there sat a vase of orchids and plumeria, and the walls were lined with demure abstract paintings, blocked with red velvet ropes as it were a gallery rather than a lobby.

The asari, whose friendly face was marked with purple sunbursts extending from her eyes and over the back of her head, led them to the elevator, using her omni-tool to transfer them pertinent information such as menus for local restaurants, event schedules, and a room service catalog. She used the same omni-tool to call the elevator down as Mona reached for the triangular button on the wall.

“I thought she was going to ask us if we needed her to get in and open our room door for us,” Mona said when the elevator door slid shut, having lost interest in her datapad in favor of leaning over Kaidan to look at the information on his omni-tool.

“It’s a nice place,” he said, glancing at her. “She’s probably paid pretty well to be helpful.”

“I would assume so,” Liara added. “It is unusual to see an asari matriarch in such a position.”

“A matriarch, really?” Mona asked.

“Yes, I assume that if this resort regularly receives the clientele that the brochures claim it does, she is here for intelligence gathering opportunities. Perhaps diplomacy.”

“Asari never do slow down, do they?” Mona asked, putting an arm around Liara’s shoulder.

“You’re one to talk” Liara replied gently, a small smile on her placid face.

“Did Anderson say if room service was comped?” Kaidan asked, still looking through the menu on his omni-tool while the elevator made it’s leisurely climb to the top floor. “Cause if not, I’m not sure we can afford anything other than bread and water. This menu is crazy.”

“The concierge mentioned that there were restaurants in the area,” Liara said. “But I do recall speaking with Anderson about room service, and I believe it is covered. Perhaps we should ask him once we’ve settled in.”

The elevator finally eased to a stop and opened to a short hallway that was lined with the same sort of abstract paintings, sans velvet ropes, leading to a door with biometric scanners attached to a nearby pedestal.

“Seems a little excessive for a hotel room,” said Kaidan as Mona lifted her hand over the scanner. A pulse of blue light ran over it, then flickered out as the door slid open. Standing just inside the immense room was a VI, similar in likeness to the asari concierge, its hands clasped behind its back as it waited for them to cross the threshold into the room. When they did, it bowed slightly, the color of its circuitry flickering when it moved.

“Welcome to your suite, Commander Shepard. My function is to better acclimate you to your new home away from home, as well as relay your needs to the hotel staff. Would you care for a tour?”

“No thanks,” Mona said, wrinkling her nose at the VI. “I think we can handle it from here.”

“As you wish. I can be accessed from six terminals inside of this suite, one in each of the bedrooms, and three in the living areas. Enjoy your stay, Commander Shepard.”

The VI winked out, leaving the three of them a beautiful view of the window directly behind her. Mona crossed the room to it, ignoring the leather sofas, the wooden end tables polished to a high shine, and all of the electronics. She stopped in front of the wall of floor length windows that spanned the entire length of the living area to slide one open, then stepped outside onto the deck to lean on the railing.

The Pacific ocean spread out around the hotel, clear blue and calm, sending a brackish breeze up to the top floor. On the beach below, there were a dozen small groups of umbrellas and beach blankets, as well as the grey hulk of one elcor sunning itself near the surf.

For the first time since landing on Earth, Mona had a moment of peace there, watching the tide, her thoughts quiet.

“Hey, I’m gonna take my luggage to a room,” Kaidan said to Liara, after they both spent a good thirty seconds too long staring at Mona.

“Of course,” she replied with a distracted smile, waiting another minute before joining Mona on the deck. “It’s beautiful.” Mona glanced up and nodded. “See, a little vacation now and then isn’t so bad, is it?”

“Says the woman who had her Ph.D at twenty,” Mona said, teasing, putting an arm around Liara’s shoulder and pulling her close enough to kiss the side of her head.

“Asari often show early aptitude for education.” Liara slipped her arms around Mona’s waist, resting her forehead against Mona’s when they were facing. “I was apparently particularly precocious.”

“Apparently.” Chuckling, Mona kissed her lightly. “Is Kaidan…?”

“Putting away his luggage. He seems excited.”

“I’m glad you two came. It just…”

“You don’t have to explain,” Liara said quietly, pressing her lips to Mona’s cheek. “I understand.”

“It feels right to have you both here. With me. I guess I’m just worried that…two weeks is a long time. What if Kaidan decides he’s making a mistake?”

“Did you worry that about me?” Liara asked, her expression going sly.

“Well, no, but…”

“Then don’t worry about him. This is a vacation, you’re here to have fun, and relaxing a bit won’t kill you.”

“You don’t know that,” Mona said, trying to keep her expression stern but failing, losing it in a giddy smile that she pressed to Liara’s neck. “Reapers could land any minute now.”

“Unlikely, but I know that there’s an assault rifle in your luggage if it happens.”

“There’s also a bikini,” Mona said with a grin. Liara laughed and kissed her on the forehead while inside, Kaidan leaned against the counter in the kitchenette, watching them in comfortable silence.


End file.
